KØMHC Rover Blog Contents and Navigation

1. Rover Home Page
2. Rover FAQ
3. VUCC Expedition to the Red River Valley
4. The Texas Hill Country Rovers - 2013
5. The Texas Hill Country Rovers - 2014
6. Top 10 Missed Opportunities
7. Antenna Selection for Rovers
8. Coaxial Cable Management for Rovers
9. Taming the Yaesu FT-857D for Rover Use
10. The DC Power Dilemma for Rovers
11. Rover-in-a-rack Project
12. Smartphone Apps for Roving

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VUCC Expedition to the Red River Valley

June 2013 VHF Contest

OBJECTIVES: Provide contacts with stations needing these grids for their VUCCs and increase our VHF activity during the June VHF contest.
After doing a recent survey of rover activities (or lack there-of), I decided to go out on the fringe and activate many of the "rare" grids that the VUCC enthusiasts have been asking for. These grids are located within the Red River Valley (of the north) and south along I29. They include western MN, eastern ND and SD. During this expedition KØMHC/Rover operated with 100W on 6, 350W on 2, 180W on 1.25 and 150W on 0.7 meters (click on pictures for larger view).
What's New:

• Horz. stacked Yagis on 70 cm.
• Higher power on 2 meters
• Separate transmission lines for each band (4)
• "Easy-up" mechanical assist for push-up mast

Highlights:

• Sunday afternoon 6 meter opening
• Eyeball with Matt & Dave K0BBC/Rover
• Many VE4 contacts

Lowlights:

• 6 meter amplifier failure
• Car battery failure (ending rove prematurely)
• Running behind published schedule due to highway detours

Click on grid below for 360 panoramic views:
(pictures not posted yet)
Start = EN15xx95
Stop 1 = EN16xa95
Stop 2 = EN17xc16
Stop 3 = EN18xa01
Stop 4 = EN27ax95
Stop 6 = EN28aa84
Stop 7 = EN17xc16
Stop 8 = EN16nw84
Stop 9 = EN15ox01
Stop 10 = EN15lj86
Running during EN25
Running during EN26
Finish = EN26ha
K0MHC/R activated 8 grids

Summary of results:

2013 ARRL June VHF QSO Party 

    ROVER                    MN Section

   

    Band        QSOs    QSO pts.  Mults.
    --------------------------------------------
    50                49            49            25
    144              55            55            14
    222              26            52            8
    432              26            52            8
    --------------------------------------------
    TOTALS   156           208          55 + 8 = 63

                          Claimed score = 13,104

6 meter grids:

2 meter grids:

1.25 meter grids:

0.7 meter grids:

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Rover FAQ

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Scenic outlook on I35 Arbuckle Mountains, OK

TX Hill Country Rovers - 2013

"The Texas Hill Country Rovers" ride again!

January 2013 VHF Sweepstakes

(click on pictures for larger view)

KØMHC/R @ EM01vc                              W0JT/R @ EM14kj



During this event we both operated as "limited rovers" throughout central Texas and southern Oklahoma.



Our goal was to shake-down our equipment, route and procedures in preparation for Jan. 2014!



Clink on grid below for 360° panoramic view
Start = EM01vc
Stop 1 = EM02xa
Stop 2 = EM03we
Stop 3 = EM04wc
Stop 4 = EM14kj
Stop 5 = EM13kk
Stop 6 = EM12jj
Stop 7 = EM11kx
Stop 8 = EM10fr
Stop 9 = EL19pb
Stop 10 = EL09
Finish = EM00kb


- WØJT/R activated 7
- KØMHC/R activated 12
Note that we only worked each other in one grid (EL09).

Summary of results:

    2013 ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes       K0MHC/R

    ROVER LIMITED                    STX Section

    Band   QSOs    QSO pts.  Mults.

    --------------------------------------------

    50         33            33            6

    144        64            64           10

    222        28            56            7

    432        36            72            8

    --------------------------------------------

    TOTALS   161     225         31 + 12 = 43
 
    Claimed score = 9,675

6 meter grids worked

 



2 meter grids worked

1.25 meter grids worked









0.7 meter grids worked









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The Texas Hill Country Rovers - 2014

"The Texas Hill Country Rovers" ride again!

January 2014 VHF Sweepstakes

(click on pictures for larger view)





W0JT/R @ EM01vc

K0MHC/R @ EM01vc










OBJECTIVES: Provide contacts with stations needing these grids, test new configurations and increase VHF activity during the January VHF contest.

During this expedition KØMHC/Rover operated:

• * 200W on 6 meters
• 300W on 2 meters
• 185W on 1.25 meters
• 160W on 0.7 meters
• 10W on 5.7 GHz
• 6W on 10 GHz

 

What's New and Improved:

• 2 x vertical stacked Yagis on 2 meters
• 2 x horizontal stacked Yagis on 1.25 meters
• 4 x Yagi array on 70 cm.
• Single, shared LM-600uf transmission line
• Dual band 5.7 & 10 GHz portable station
• "Easy-up" mechanical assist for all 4 mast sections

Highlights:

• Great roving weather (2^nd year in a row)
• 5.7 & 10 GHz contacts with Al, W5LUA and Ben, NO5K
• Great propagation from the I35 scenic outlook (Ardmore, OK)
• Improved RMG participation on Sunday
• Improved antenna performance (except 1.25 meters)

 Lowlights:

• Both Bill, W3XO/5 and John, W0JT/rover with equipment problems and Ron, K5LLL with schedule conflicts
• Running behind published schedule (again)
• *6 meter amplifier failure

Most Improved:

• Moving much of the rover activity to the 144.210 MHz “running” frequency!
• John, W0JT/rover with better antennas, rotor and power
• K5QE limited multiop with better rover tracking
• Dick, K5AND & Ben NO5K running the bands from several grids
• Ray, W0IFS getting on the air with two bands

Challenges:

• Rover time productivity

• Microwave (5/10 GHz) “fiddle-factor” effect on overall schedule
• 1.25 meter atmospheric band stop filter during most of the contest
• Need increased RMG, NTMS and Oklahoma stations

Thoughts for next January:

• APRS!
• Add the “looper” bands!
• Digital modes?
• Rover shotgun start?
• Reverse VUCC? http://www.csvhfs.org/vuccdesc.html
• 4-corner grid locations?
• Add run-and-gun antennas (to current stop-elevate-and-shoot configuration}?
• Find a local ham with VHF/UHF rover interests to help with set-up?
• Console carousal?
• Computer navigation?
• Computer logging?

Start = EM01vc
Stop 1 = EM02xa
Stop 2 = EM03we
Stop 3 = EM04va
Stop 4 = EM14kj
Stop 5 = EM13jc
Stop 6 = EM12iv
Stop 7 = EN11ga

K0MHC/R activated 8 grids

Summary of results:

  2014 ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes       K0MHC
    ROVER                            STX Section
    Operators: K0MHC
    Band  QSOs     QSO pts.  Mults.

    --------------------------------------------

    50           25             25            12

    144         38             38            12

    222         19             38             8

    432         24             48            10

    5760         2             16              1

    10368       3             24              2

    --------------------------------------------

    TOTALS: 111       189      45 + 8 = 53

                  Claimed score = 10,017

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"Top 10 Missed Opportunities" while Roving

   Based on our January 2013 rove:

1. Six meter opening(s) – missed it again – requires almost continuous monitoring
2. Start earlier and run longer in EM14kj – sun-up too late – 6:30 better than 7:30 AM
3. Better azimuth control -  need station’s 6 digit data base and KM Rover program
4. Running the bands – missed several bands from several stations – add to data base
5. Time utilization – don’t scout for operating sites during contest time
6. Better site selection – maximize this rover advantage – expand STX site data base
7. Run-&-Gun between Stop-&-Shoot sites – requires separate operator and omnidirectional antenna
8. Attract and retain “big” gun stations:
• Change of expectations
• Published operating schedule
• Multiple stops in some “bridge” grids
9. More Bands:
• Looper bands – operating 902 – 3456 MHz require longer stopping times
• Dish bands – operate 5.7-10 GHz only at selected sites with second operator
10. PUBLICITY and PROMOTION! – for increased participation by everyone

And yes we need more rovers! Identify rover candidates and then encourage and assist them to take the first step.

• “… it'll be the rovers that really make these contests fun, since they make for fresh activity on a regular basis throughout...” http://kc9bqa.com/

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